Saints have been lucky that the likes of Hartley and last season’s skipper, Lee Dickson, have an innate passion for a club they have spent the best years of their career at.

And now Wood will get his opportunity to etch his name alongside the top names who have steered the Saints ship.

A sign of his commitment can be seen by what happened at the end of the previous campaign, which Wood admits was hard to take for all involved.

He did not watch any of the play-offs as he couldn’t bare the fact that he and his team-mates were not involved.

And another reason for ignoring events elsewhere in the league came in the form of a pain in the neck.

Wood had the pressing matter of having surgery on a problem he had been carrying for six months.

So committed was he to helping Saints get back to where they feel they belong that he constantly played through the pain barrier.

One of his arms might not have been working properly, but no matter.

Wood, a man who will be forever remembered for roaring like King Leonidas after scoring a season-defining try in the title-winning season of 2013/14, continued to maintain his reputation as a teak-tough warrior.

And he was one of Saints’ best and most consistent performers as they ensured they would not suffer the ignominy of finishing outside the top six.

That would have forced Northampton to travel to some European outposts in the Challenge Cup.

But that is not where this club, with the strength of squad it possesses, deserves to be.

Thanks to the work of Wood and many others, they will once again be dining at the top table in Europe again next season.

And there is no better man to lead them to the feast than Wood.

Trending

Accident closes road between Daventry District villages

Daventry man charged with breaching sexual offences prevention order

Shocking dashcam footage shows lorry smash into car on M1

Artisan pizzeria opens in Daventry

Driver airlifted to hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries following crash on Northamptonshire road